After counting the day of the sefirah we say:
Ha-ra-cha-man, hu ya-cha-zir la-nu a-vo-das beis hamikdash li-me-komah bim-he-rah ve-yo-meinu, amen selah.
The Compassionate One! May He return for us the service of the Temple to its place, speedily in our days. Amen, selah!
Why Do We Say Li-me-komah, to its place? Why doesn't it just say: Return the avodah to the beis hamikdash? Why does it add li-me-komah?
The Abudraham is the first source to mention this nusach which we use. In contrast,Tosefos (Megillah 20b, Kol) has the more familiar nusach: Ye-hi ratzon she-yi-baneh beis ha-mikdash etc.
The reason for either nusach is because the whole mitzvah of sefirah today is zekher le-mikdash.
There is a significant difference between the mitzvos of sefirah and lulav. Lulav is also zekher le-mikdash for the full seven days of sukkos and we do not say Ye-hi ratzon or Ha-ra-cha-man! The Tosefos explains that shofar and lulav have an action, asiya, so that it achieves a kiyum of the mitzvah mi-derabanan. Sefirah, in contrast, is to merely serve as a reminder, hazkarah, zekher le-mikdash for which we say, Ye-hi ratzon she-yi-baneh beis ha-mikdash. (Note: Why the beracha al sefiras haomer? Tosefos hold that a beracha is recited for a minhag, too.)
The Gemara (Menachos 66a) says:
Abaye said, The mitzvah is to count the days and also to count the weeks. The Rabbis of the school of R. Ashi used to count the days as well as the weeks. Amemar used to count the days but not the weeks, saying, It is only in commemoration of Temple times.
The Baal Hamaor at the end of Pesachim explains that we do not say she-he-che-yanu for sefirah because it is just a zekher le-mikdash and a sad reminder at that.
In addition, the separation of counting sefirah from the original form of the mitzvah is important to note. Without a korban today, counting sefirah loses its full impact. It is merely a zekher. Nonetheless, counting sefirah is still possible as an act by itself.
But, what does counting as a mere zekher imply?
Reb Velvel (based on Reb Chaim) extrapolates that counting as a zekher accepts the view that the sanctity of the mikdash was temporary and limited to the time of the existence of the mikdash, kedushas ha-mikdash lo kidshah le-asid lavo. Since the korban ha-omer is not brought, the mitzvah of counting is also no longer required -- it is just a zekher.
The Rambam (Beis HaBechirah 6:15) holds kedushas ha-mikdash kidshah le-asid lavo, the sanctity of the mikdash is permanent, the korban could be brought today and the mitzvah of counting sefirah is still required min ha-Torah.
Why Do We Say Li-me-komah, to its place?
Li-me-komah implies:
1 - Zekher, commemoration of the counting in the mikdash
2 - The sanctity of the mikdash was temporary and limited to the time of the existence of the mikdash, kedushas ha-mikdash lo kidshah le-asid lavo and, therefore,
3 - The longing for the day when the avoda in the beis ha-mikdash will be reinstated to its place on Har HaMoriah in Yerushalayim
Ye-hi ratzon she-yi-baneh beis ha-mikdash bi-me-he-rah ve-yomeinu!
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